The Valley News staff photographers and interns are sharing the stories behind their favorite photographs of the year. More of their favorites can be seen in Photo Galleries. Valley News photography intern Charles Hatcher shares his pick below.
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I met James “Demose” Teem last summer as he worked behind the deli counter at Hannaford supermarket in West Lebanon, N.H. Being a new photo intern at the Valley News, and from Florida, I was always on the lookout for new people, places and potential stories ideas — even at the grocery store. Teem was working the counter almost every time I was there buying my sliced meats and cheeses. His friendly demeanor and dangly earrings prompted me to strike up a conversation.
After a two-minute chat, Teem told me about his interests in role playing and paganism. After telling him that I thought a pagan lifestyle might be interesting to share with the Upper Valley community, Teem said he would think about it.
Weeks went by and I would check in with the Tennessee native at the deli counter, about once a week.
“I’m still thinking about it all,” he would say about having a photojournalist follow him around and document his life.
Then one week, while picking out my muffins, I caught him on his break. Teem seemed as if something was on his mind. Something had changed.
Our conversation started as they normally did. I asked him how things were going.
“Unfortunately, not so great,” he said.
Teem explained to me that he had been kicked out of the house where he was staying and was living in a tent near the grocery store with his wife and two-year-old son. It was at this moment that Teem let down his guard and invited me to meet his family at the tent.
They let me in their life at a very turbulent time. They were bouncing around from a house, to a tent, to a motel, and finally back to the house to pick up their belongings before heading back to Tennessee. Teem’s mother had made the drive to pick them up and essentially save the family.
This experience taught me how important building relationships are to community journalism and that you never know what someone is going through in life.
— Charles Hatcher